PBA: Rain or Shine prevents sweep, shackles Petron in the endgame

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters erased a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, to extend their 2013 PBA Governors' Cup semifinals series against the Petron Blaze Boosters, 92-87, on Saturday at the Cuneta Astrodome.

Jeff Chan was the best player of the game with 18 points, 12 coming off long-range makes, plus seven boards.

Petron was aiming for a sweep after winning game one 91-83, and game two 90-88, but the defending conference champions put the brooms away with a solid late-game performance.

Tied at 85-all with less than three minutes remaining, Jeff Chan rung in a triple to push Rain or Shine ahead. With the Elasto Painters clamping down on defense, their import Arizona Reid broke away, splitting from the line for a four-point spread.

Arwind Santos responded with a basket at the other end, but on Petron's next possession, he committed a turnover, leading to a Reid drive. Another Rain or Shine steal rewarded Reid with a trip to the line, where he split for a five-point spread, 92-87. Petron never scored again, giving RoS the victory.

Rain or Shine started the game without head coach Yeng Guiao who was stuck in traffic, while lead assistant coach Caloy Garcia was also out coaching the Letran Knights. Despite that, the Elasto Painters did not start flat, even without their two coaches. A short stab from Arizona Reid broke a 3-all score at the 8:23 mark of the first. Ronald Tubid, however, gave Petron their first taste of the lead with a triple for a 6-5 tally.

The Boosters took a three-point lead, but Jeff Chan knotted the game anew at the 5:01 mark with a triple, a shot the Elasto Painters weren’t able to make in their last game. Another triple from Reid and back-to-back inside baskets for Rain or Shine gave them a 23-16 edge at the tail-end of the first quarter, but it was Marcio Lassiter who ended the opening 12 minutes with his own trey, for a 23-19 count heading into the second.

Guiao finally arrived early in the second quarter and his team responded by keeping their lead. A basket by Chris Tiu was followed by a long jumper from Larry Rodriguez at the 3:43 mark to give ROS a 42-34 lead. Treys from Lassiter and Alex Cabagnot inched the Boosters closer at 46-44, but a layup from Chan brought the Rain or Shine lead back up to four to end the second.


The Elasto Painters ran out of the gates to start the second half. A basket from Jireh Ibanes at the 10:16 mark gave them a double-digit lead at 54-44, their biggest lead in the series at that point. Petron was able to cut the lead down to seven, but a long two from Chan and a three-point play from Beau Belga at the 6:24 mark stretched the Elasto Painters' lead further to a dozen points, 65-53.

Petron then staged their own run, as free throws from Cabagnot, Chris Lutz and Elijah Millsap cut their deficit to five. Sorry misses from Tiu and Jervy Cruz gave the Boosters a chance to take over. A seven-point swing capped by a three from Alex Cabagnot cut the RoS lead to one, before Reid and Millsap exchange points to tie the game at 70-all. Free throws from Tiu ended the third with ROS ahead by just two, 72-70.

A 9-2 run to start the fourth had Petron ahead, 79-74, before Tiu hit two more from the line. Four from Marcio Lassiter, plus a Lutz spin move gave Petron some breathing room, 85-76, but the Elasto Painters ignited a 12-0 run to pull ahead, 89-85.

Arizona Reid rang in 25 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and two steals for Rain or Shine, leading all scorers. Chris Tiu chipped in nine markers, four assists and two assists as well.

Petron drew 18 markers, five boards and three dimes from Alex Cabagnot, while Elijah Millsap produced 17 points on 4-of-21 shooting, plus 14 rebounds and six assists. The duo of Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter combined for 26 points, 10 rebounds and three dimes, but the starting front court of June Mar Fajardo and Arwind Santos only managed nine markers each.

Rain or Shine's defense held their foes to just a 32.9 percent shooting clip, while converting 40 percent of their own attempts. They out-scored Petron 15-9 in second-chance points and 19-7 in turnover points.

Game four is set for Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.  -RAF/AMD, GMA News


The scores:

Rain or Shine 92 - Reid 25; Chan 18; Tiu 9, Belga 7, Quinahan 7, Cruz 6 Ibanaez 6, Matias 4, Norwood 4, Tang 3, Rodriguez 3

Petron 87 - Cabangnot 18, Millsap 17, Lutz 15, Lassiter 11, Fajardo 9, Santos 9, Lanete 5, Tubid 3, Kramer 0

Quarter scoring: 23-19; 48-44; 72-70; 92-87